Chapter 9 He Cared for Me
Claire's back stiffened as she clenched her fists, her gaze fixed on the torture device lying on the floor. Her face turned pale as memories of blood and fear surged back into her mind. Her stomach churned, and she covered her mouth, retching uncontrollably.
Already feverish, with nothing but a cup of instant noodles from the night before, she hadn't eaten anything else since.
With nothing substantial to vomit, all that came up was the acidic bile from her stomach.
After she finished, her stomach cramped painfully, leaving her curled up on the ground, trembling as she reached out for the torture device. Frederick had been watching her, expressionless, the entire
time.
It wasn't until Claire started convulsing that he subconsciously frowned and stepped down on the device.
He crouched down beside her. "Claire, if you die, who will protect Caroline?"
Claire's hand froze on the device. She looked up at Frederick, and suddenly, she laughed, a bitter laugh that brought tears to
Chapter 9 He Cared for Me
her eyes.
She thought, "For a split second, when he crouched down, I foolishly imagined that he cared for me.
It turns out when I love someone for too long, it becomes ingrained in my very bones, uncontrollable."
2/5
In the end, Claire could only watch helplessly as the servant who had tried to help her had her legs brutally broken and was thrown out of the villa. She desperately wanted to stop it, but with the fever, the
vomiting, and the dizziness, she didn't even have the strength to shout, let alone intervene.
The pure white snow and the bright red blood formed a stark contrast.
All she could do was lie on the ground, silently shedding tears.
When it was all over, Frederick took Claire to the hospital.
"Make sure she's treated well. If anything happens to her, I'll hold you accountable."
Throughout, Claire was like a soulless shell, showing no reaction at all. Her mind was filled with the image of the servant being dragged out.
Even hearing Frederick's words didn't stir any emotion in her.
Chapter 9 He Cared for Me
3/5
She knew very well that the only reason Frederick was doing this was to ensure she would be there to shield Caroline.
Frederick stood there, staring through the glass of the ward, his mind replaying the scene of Claire reaching for the torture device, willing to endure the pain for the servant.
He thought, "Claire, who once made a servant kneel for an entire day over a broken cup, is now willing to suffer for one. How is that possible?
Such a drastic change could only mean one thing. She is putting
on an act."
Frederick's eyes darkened. Without any further hesitation, he turned and left.
After he left, Claire received just one bottle of antibiotics. Once her fever subsided, she hurried back to the villa.
She had only a little money left, the amount she had stashed away in her wallet before going to prison.
Her grandmother offered her some money to spend when she was discharged from the hospital, but Claire refused.
She thought, "As a convicted murderer, if I accepted the money, who knows what kind of trouble the Prescott family would have stirred up. At the very least, Harrison wouldn't have let it slide." So, before this small sum ran out, she needed to figure out a way to make money.
Chapter 9 He Cared for Me
4/5
After leaving the hospital, she saw a supermarket across the street and thought of the empty basement at the villa. She went in to buy some essential supplies.
A toothbrush and toothpaste were necessary. As for a water cup, she could just buy a bottle of water and use that for now. The cup could wait. A water bottle could double as a cup for brushing her teeth. Slippers and other non-essential items were a luxury she couldn't afford right now. Saving money was her priority.
As for a bed, she couldn't afford one, so she bought two thick sleeping bags instead. That way, she could solve both the bed and quilt issues for the lowest cost.
Water was the most critical need. The Halfmoon Manor was too far away, and buying water by the barrel and carrying it back was not only expensive but impractical.
After thinking it over, Claire decided to get one large barrel of water and then fill the rest at the high-end service area in the villa district. She could do all her washing there, too.
After buying what she needed, Claire headed back to the villa.
The villa was far from the city, with no bus service available. Most residents had their own cars, so public transportation wasn't needed.
Besides, the Halfmoon Manor was the most exclusive area in
Chapter 9 He Cared for Me
Kingstown, with strict privacy measures. Not only were buses not allowed in, but even regular cars were restricted.
Claire had to walk a long way back, carrying a heavy barrel of water, along with other essential items and some food.
Having just recovered from her fever, she was weak.
By the time she reached the villa, she was exhausted, seeing stars before her eyes. Just as she stepped inside, a hard slap landed on her face.
5/5
"Claire, after all these years, you still won't give up on clinging to my brother, will you? You followed him here again, didn't you? Four years in prison, and you haven't learned your lesson! How pathetic can you be!" Caught off guard, Claire was knocked down, her belongings scattered across the floor. Her head hit the sharp edge of the shoe cabinet, and blood immediately started to flow.
Holding her bleeding forehead, Claire looked up to see that it was the treasured heiress of the Hawthorne family, Frederick's sister, Diana Hawthorne, a woman even more domineering and arrogant than the old Claire. Write your comment
ir Gifts